Captive Engagement
by DevinBourdain
Summary: It was going to be a lovely day spent with friends and colleagues but trouble seems to follow certain members of the seaview crew even when trying to engage in normal activities.  Warning: violence and language.  Beta read by CelestialMoon17.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea characters are not mine, just borrowed for this story.

Reviews are always welcome.

Captive Engagement

The red cobra sauntered down Main Street. The small town was abuzz with the excitement of the wine festival; banners with pictures of grapes hung from every shop doorway. However, the festival in town was _not _what brought the Captain and Executive officer of the submarine _Seaview_ to this usual sleepy hollow.

Lt O'Brien the second officer and his lovely bride to be were holding their engagement party at the lake retreat just outside the small town.

Michelle Prescott worked as the receptionist for the research building at NIMR. In the year that had passed since she had filled the position, she had become well liked by all of her co-workers. It just happened to be a pleasant surprise that both she and O'Brien worked for Admiral Nelson, since neither one had ever ran into each other at the institute.

Michelle had gotten a flat tire on her way to a local music festival and was stranded on the side of a lonely stretch of highway. Just like in the movies, O'Brien was going to the same festival. He had happened upon the damsel in distress, and swooped in and carried her off like a white knight with a horse.

The pair hit it off, and after six months of dating, O'Brien continued being her prince charming. He got down on one knee and proposed to the most beautiful and wonderful girl he had ever met, and just like the girl, the day was turning out to be just as wonderful and beautiful; perfect for an engagement party.

"Lee we're going to be late," protested Chip as Crane continued his inspection of the local buildings down Main Street. He was clearly looking for a particular place.

"Relax, we have plenty of time...there has to be one _somewhere_ in this town. It will just take a moment...hang on. Yes, here it is." replied the Captain as be pulled into a parking space in front of the brick building.

"You couldn't have stopped at a bank before we left town this morning?" Chip complained.

"No, I didn't have time. Rebecca called, and then I was running late to pick up our suits from the dry cleaners, which made me late coming back to pick you up. I didn't have any time to pick up a gift for the happy couple, so I figured I'd put some cash in a card and they can put it towards their wedding." Crane answered as he got out of the car. He was somewhat surprised to see Chip doing the same thing.

"I'll only be five minutes Chip; you can wait in the car."

Chip smiled, and his blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"The _last_ time you were going to be five minutes in a bank, I sat in the car for _twenty minutes_ while you flirted with the teller. And like you said, you were running late this morning. We still have to change before the party, and as your XO, it's my job to see that the Captain keeps on schedule."

"Those twenty minutes were worth it. If you remember, I had six dates with the lovely bank teller Nancy."

The pair, dressed in their usual khaki uniforms, walked in to the bank.

It had been a stressful morning.

The pile of paperwork on Crane's desk had grown to enormous proportions; a situation that was made worse when Lee tripped on a computer wire and knocked the organized stack of papers flying around the office. A problem with some computer repairs aboard _Seaview_ had required Chip's attention, which left Lee as the only option to go a pick up their suits if they were even going to _attempt_ to be on the road before eleven am.

Rebecca, the lady Crane met at a dinner function eight nights before, had called to make plans for their second date which held Lee up at the office. Then traffic to and from the drycleaners had been horrible. The drive to Dragon Lake had been pleasant however, and the duo had managed to make up some time. But with a twenty minute drive still ahead of them and the dinner party set to begin in thirty minutes, they could not afford any distractions or delays.

The bank, like all the other buildings down Main Street, had a small town cottage feel. The front was brick and decorated with flower baskets, giving off all the appearances of a house save for the large sign that betrayed its true occupation. An elderly gentlemen dressed in a white security uniform greeted Lee and Chip at the door. There was one young lady working as a teller, and a middle aged man dressed in a grey suit was busy going over some paper work with a couple at the corner desk. The dark haired Captain walked up to the teller and greeted her with a smile.

"Good afternoon gentlemen. How can I help you today?" The perky brunette greeted them with a smile.

"I'd like to make a withdrawal." answered Lee, sliding his bank information across the counter.

"Well I'd be glad to help you with that. You came in at just the right time."

"How's that?" asked Chip, who was leaning against the counter to Crane's right.

The bubbly girl explained while she typed at her computer.

"Well we're closing early today in honour of the wine festival in town this weekend. There's going to be a big 'to do' at town hall for the buyer of the rare bottle of wine that was found in the old winery. It supposedly sold for three hundred thousand dollars at last night's auction."

"That must be some bottle of wine!" said Morton.

"Are you gentlemen in town for the festival?" The young woman asked.

Lee responded as the girl proceeded to count out his cash.

"Actually, we're here for an engagement party out at Dragon Lake."

"Which one of you is the lucky guy?" The teller smiled and batted her big brown eyes at the boys.

"It's a friend of ours actually." offered Chip as he smiled back at the teller.

The three were so focused on their conversation that they did not hear the group of four individuals enter the bank, or hear the click of the lock on the front door. What _did_ get their attention, and the attention of everyone present, was the shouted demands of one of the individuals and the thud of the security guard being thrown against the wall and hitting the floor.

"Everyone on the floor NOW!" Shouted the tallest of the four people dressed in black.

The other gunman that wasn't with the security guard ordered to the gentlemen in the gray suit.

"You, come out from behind the desk." The voice was distinctly female. This black glad individual was much shorter than the other three.

The third gunmen, wearing a black vest, moved over towards Crane and Morton, who were starting to move towards the ground. He grabbed the teller and ordered her to sit beside Lee and Chip. He then proceeded to order them all to put their cell phones, wallets, and everything else in their pockets into the bag he was holding.

The female gunman was doing the same with the couple that was sitting at the desk in the corner. The fourth gunman was shutting the curtains on the bank windows. The tall gun men had escorted the man in the gray suit, who had been identified as the bank manager, into the back room.

The young bank teller that had been assisting Lee was leaning against the counter sobbing. Lee leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's your name?" he whispered.

"Shelby." She replied. Her voice was shaky and very faint.

"It's going to be ok Shelby. My name's Lee and this is Chip." Crane said in the most reassuring voice he could muster.

While Lee was comforting the distraught teller, his XO was analyzing their present predicament. After about ten seconds, Chip leaned over and whispered his findings to Crane.

"Ok. The tall one, the girl, and the one watching the door each have hand guns, and the one wearing the vest only has a shot gun. We're out numbered and definitely out gunned, but they sound like a bunch of kids. You got a plan?"


	2. Chapter 2

"How long will it take the police to show?" Crane asked Shelby.

In a small, timid voice she answered, "They probably won't come. The silent alarm has been broken since last night; the repair technician is supposed to come into town tomorrow. The police won't know that anything has happened, and everyone else is at the wine festival."

"The bank doesn't have an alarm?" whispered Morton with a shocked look on his face.

"We'll it's not like we advertised that the alarm connection to the police station was disconnected today. The only people that know are the six employees at this bank," retorted Shelby.

"Now what Lee?" asked the exec.

He thought for a moment before answering. "Let's just lay low; they could just get what they want and leave. No one's seen their faces, so there's no reason for this to turn violent."

"Why don't you shut the hell up already, or I'm goin' to _make_ you shut it!" yelled the third gunman as he turned sharply and pointed his weapon at the three on the floor.

From the room in the back there came a shout.

"Pete, it's not here. The money hasn't shown up yet!" The tall gunman roughly escorted the bank manager back out into the front of the bank.

The vested gunmen couldn't hide the frustration from his voice as he angrily spit out, "I _told_ you idiot. _No_ names! And what do you mean the money ain't here yet? We were told it was goin' to show up today."

The gunmen turned and aimed his anger, along with his gun, towards the bank manger. "Where the _hell_ is the money from the wine auction?"

The older gentlemen answered in a trembling voice, "The . . . the money from the auction . . . it's going to be deposited tonight after the presentation at the hall . . . we . . . we were closing early today to go down and watch, and then I was going to escort the buyer and Mr. Wilkins back here after . . . for the deposit. "

Every time one of the robbers yelled out, the collective group of hostages flinched ever so slightly. What was to be a perfect plan on the part of the robbers was now spiralling out of control.

"What are we going to do now?" asked the tall one, looking at Pete.

While the argument about how to proceed was occurring between the bank robbers, Chip tilted his head in the direction of the unconscious guard at the other side of the room, and then glanced at his friend.

"I think we may need one of your plans now buddy. Things are heating up and it looks like the guard is starting to come to."

"We'll have to keep our eyes open for an opportunity. Just be ready to follow my lead."

Truthfully, the Captain had _no_ idea how he was going to get everyone out of this potentially deadly situation. With the big payday out of the captors reach, and tension mounting over their lack of a back-up plan, the situation was going to become explosive and quickly. _Think Lee, think. There has to be a way out of this situation. You've been in tighter spots before._

The fourth gunman kept his position in front of the door while Pete, the girl, and the third hostage taker were now engaged in a full blown argument in the center of the room. The locals in the bank kept their attention on the argument, while Crane and Morton were looking for options and advantages to help them take out the robber, since it was becoming very clear that they were not going to leave the bank without some kind of reward.

The security guard had regained consciousness and slowly pieced together the events that had taken place since he hit the wall. Ever so slightly, he reached for his belt and realized his gun had been removed. From his crumpled position on the floor he could reach his ankle where his back-up gun was planted. Crane watched as the guard cautiously checked for his back-up gun, and with a series of glances and hand signals that years of naval training had perfected, he signalled to Morton that their opportunity was fast approaching.

"Shelby, I want you to start moving behind the counter. Go very slow," instructed Crane in a whisper so as to not alert their captors.

The teller nodded and started to comply. The XO and skipper moved into a crouch position, while the guard started to pull out his back-up gun. The whole time, the three arguing robbers were completely unaware of the plan that was unfolding around them and the fourth was too busy performing the function of look out to warn his accomplices. The argument was interrupted by the sound of children running by the bank window and it was at that moment the security guard, Crane, and Morton decided to act.

The outside sounds of people and traffic filling the street were overshadowed by the sounds of fists connecting to other body parts, screams, and the bangs of several gunshots fired. Lee had managed to knock two of the gunmen down when he pounced. The impact of the floor, followed by Lee's entire weight, knocked one of the assailants out cold on the floor.

The second gunman managed to grab the collar of Cranes shirt and proceed to throw a few punches at his face. One landed on its target, but Lee managed to block the two that followed, which ultimately lead to the two wrestling on the bank's hardwood floor. The security guard was making a move for the gunman at the door, leaving the tall gunmen for Chip.

The security guard had taken aim at the robber watching the door; he turned around just in time to see Chip and Crane pouncing on his friends. The guard's shot had been wide and just grazed the gunman's left arm, causing him to fire wildly. His surprise was short lived as he managed to regain his weapon and return fire at the guard. The man took a bullet in his leg and fell to the ground in pain, dropping his handgun. It slid across the floor almost in reach of the dark haired Captain.

Crane wasn't the only one to see the gun slide within reach. Both he and Pete struggled to get to the gun first. Lee managed to drive his elbow into Pete's jaw and had just grazed the handle of the gun with his finger tips, when his head exploded with pain. His vision blurred and a low grunt of pain escaped the young Captain's lips.

The tall gunman kicked the handgun towards the robber that was holding the position by the door, and Pete used the momentary distraction to deliver a vicious kick to Lee's stomach after regaining his feet. Lee rolled painfully onto his back and stared up at the tall gunman. It took a few moments before his vision cleared, and there was only _one_ gunmen standing over him instead of the two and a half that had been there previously.

Pete was able to awaken the female member of the group while the lookout started to tie up the security guard, the couple in the corner, and the bank manager with a roll of packing tape that had been sitting on the desk.

"I should shoot you right fuckin' now for that man." shouted Pete as he brought his gun to bear down on Lee.

"Aww, leave him. We need to come up with a new plan to get some money and we may need hostages." interjected the girl as she grabbed Pete's shoulder.

It was the shout of "_Oh god"_ from the bank teller Shelby, and the sharp cry of pain that sounded so familiar to Lee, that caught all of their attention.

It took Crane a second to place the second voice. _The tall gunmen was Chip's, but he was the one that decked me, so what happened to . . . Chip!_ Crane turned his head towards the coughing sound to see Shelby kneeling over a body.

It was Chip's body.

The first shot the lookout had gotten off didn't go wildly into the room; rather it had found its mark in Chip's left side. Lee darted to his friend's side. The front of the XO's shirt was stained red, and the blood was starting to form a small pool on the floor. Lee pressed his hands onto Chip's side in an effort to stop the bleeding. The exec cried out in pain as Lee applied pressure to the wound. Their eyes locked for a moment and Crane tried to offer his friend reassurance.

"Lee," gasped Chip.

"Shhhh, just take it easy buddy, I'll get you some help. Shelby, I need something to stop this bleeding."

Shelby's face was white as she took in the horror in front of her. It wasn't until Crane asked for her help a second time that she started to move. Pete put up his arm to block the bank teller.

"He needs help! You can't let him die!" Crane shouted at the captors.

"Why can't I?" countered Pete.

"Pete...let'em do something. The cops ain't gonna like it if one of em' is dead. We'll never get out then," said the girl.

"Fine, but no tricks or you're the first one to get it." growled Pete, as he lowered his arm to allow Shelby to pass. He pointed to the lookout.

"You. Go and make sure that guard ain't bleedin' too badly."

The gunman walked over to the guard and looked at the wound. The bullet had grazed the side of the guard's leg and the bleeding was minimal. He grabbed the tie the young man in the corner had on, and used it as a bandage on the security guard's leg.

Shelby had returned from the back with several fresh towels from the lunchroom, and handed them to Crane, who was kneeling on the floor beside his injured friend. The blood was sluggishly oozing through his fingers as he desperately tried to keep more of the red liquid from spilling on the floor. Crane carefully rolled Chip onto his side to find the exit wound and placed one of the towels against his back and rolled him back over. The movement extracted a groan from Morton's lips.

Chip tried to speak, but attempting to stifle the cries of agony caused by the wound prevented him from getting more than a few words out between breathes. With pain filled blue eyes and a weak voice, he asked Lee,

"It's bad isn't it?" Morton grabbed Crane's wrist and looked him in the eye with a plea for an honest answer from his friend.

Unable to hide his forlorn look, the Captain kept his eyes on his blood stained hands as he answered,

"It's not good Chip." Crane had to work past the lump in his throat. He wasn't a doctor, but having sustained his fair share of injuries in the line of duty, Lee knew that without medical help soon, Chip wasn't going to last much longer.


	3. Chapter 3

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><p><em>Pink? Pink! It looks like a flamingo threw up all over the hall.<em> Riley thought to himself. There were pink table cloths, pink balloons, pink flowers, pink plates; pink bows on presents. Hell, even the drinks that were being served were pink.

"Would you get a load of this." said Patterson in awe of the decor. Pat and Kowalski had walked into the hall to stand beside Riley at the entrance.

"We'll it's definitely . . ."

"Pink!" Riley blurted out, finishing Ski's sentence.

"Well Michelle was always kinda girly. It makes sense that she would decorate for the party in pink," offered Ski at the vast amount of pink displayed in the room.

"I can hardly wait to see what the wedding is going to look like. I hear pink is their _official_ color." Pat smirked at the mental image of O'Brien's big day.

Riley continued to stare at the different decorations, and the many ways that Michelle had incorporated the color into everything in the room.

"There's so much PINK!"

"Ya, thanks Riley, we got that!" stated Ski, "Come on, let's drop this present off on the table and go congratulate the happy couple."

Pat and Ski started to make their way into the party while Riley still stood there in awe of his surroundings.

"Who knew there were four hundred and three shades of pink?" Riley whispered to himself, then shook his blond head and ran to catch up to the others when Kowalski yelled at him to hurry up.

The engagement party had a good turnout for the couple; both friends and family were enjoying hors d'oeuvre and cocktails before the dinner started. Admiral Nelson, Ryan, and Angie were chatting with the happy couple, when Nelson noticed Will Jamieson and Chief Sharkey walk into the hall. He excused himself from the current conversation and proceeded towards the newly arrived duo.

"Gentlemen, you are almost late." stated the Admiral.

"We'll you see sir, there were some computer problems aboard _Seaview,_ and Mr. Morton wanted me to supervise the technician doing one more test sir. That made us late leaving you see, and then there was some sort of hub-bub going on in town. The police had Main Street blocked off so we had to go around and . . ." explained Sharkey.

Jamieson offered a small smile,

"_And _we made it on time and if I'm not mistaken, that puts us ahead of two _particular _officers that do not appear to be present at the moment."

"No, Lee and Chip are officially late now." There was a slight irritation present in the Admiral's gruff voice. He sighed.

"I _specifically_ told those two to be _on time_."

Will just smiled and shook his head. He knew how much the Admiral hated formal functions like this. If it weren't for the fact that the soon-to-be bride was a member of the NIMR staff, and the groom was one of _Seaview's _officers, it would be doubtful the Admiral would have even come. Nelson had made Lee promise that he would show up early, so the Admiral wouldn't have to make awkward small talk with strangers.

"So you mean to tell me that Crane and Morton are still at the Institute running computer tests?"

Sharkey frowned slightly,

"N-no sir, Mr. Morton and the skipper, they left before we did. Mr. Morton told the technician to finish the scan and leave a report on the XO's desk and he would see to the problem tomorrow morning sir."

"Well they're still not here Chief. Do you think maybe you missed them when you left, and they are somehow still at the office?"

"Admiral, they took Lee's car and it wasn't in the parking lot when we left. They _definitely_ left the Institute." assured the Doctor.

"Do you...you don't think they could be in trouble, do you sir?" asked the Chief.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious Chief." Nelson smiled and pulled out his cell phone. He dialled the Commander's number and after a few moments, Lee's voice mail message came on. He waited for the beep, and then left his message.

"Lee this is Nelson. We are currently about to sit down to a dinner that you said you'd be attending. If you would be so kind as to let us know when you and Mr. Morton would be gracing us with your presence, we would appreciate it." Nelson hung up his phone.

"I'm sure the boys are just being boys," he said to Will, who had a mild look of concern on his face, "Dinner's not for another few minutes. We'll give them until dinner is officially served before we get worried." The three men moved to sit down at one of the pink tables.

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><p>The bank had taken on an eerie quiet inside; the outside was filled with loud music and laughter. The female gunmen was cleaning and patching up the wound on the lookout's arm. Pete and the tall gunmen were quietly discussing their plan.<p>

"Surely someone must have heard the gunshots." whispered Lee to Shelby.

She offered him a small smile and shook her head.

"I doubt it. Most people would have already been at the festival or on their way there when the shooting took place. I doubt anyone noticed over the music and kids with firecrackers. How's he doing?" She glanced over at Chip.

Lee looked down at Chip. The bleeding had slowed to almost nothing since he had sealed the wound with dish cloths. The exec's breathing was getting shallow though, and his skin was pale. Shock was starting to become the real concern. Too much blood loss and Chip would go into shock. If he was left untreated for too long it would lead to serious complications and then inevitably, death. _Think Lee. You have to get Chip out of here. There has to be a way._ Lee's earlier pleas for medical help had fallen on deaf ears. If anything, the robbers seemed _more_ determined that having hostages would be the answer to their financial problems.

"God damn it! What the hell are we going to do?" The tall gunmen shouted at Pete. "We can't wait here all night; we were supposed to be outta town already. Frank don't like to be kept waitin! He's gonna fuckin kill us if we don't have that money."

"Calm down Keith! We'll think of something. We'll get the money somehow." The lookout replied. Keith suddenly turned to glare at the man.

"Don't tell me to calm down _Jake_. Let's just take the money the manager said they had in the safe and let's git the hell outta here." Keith growled.

Pete reached over and grabbed Keith by the collar and forced him to look him in the eye.

"There ain't enough money here Keith! The manager told us the buyer is having the money choppered in tonight. We just have to wait till then, and then explain to Frank why we were late. He won't care if he gots the money."

The argument was cut short when a sharp ringing sound came from the bag in the corner.

"What the hell is that?" asked Jake as he moved towards the bag.

"Lee." It was a soft whisper, only a shadow of the usual commanding voice Chip had. Without opening his eyes, the prone figure continued.

"It's my phone, Lee."

Crane looked down at his friend, then back at Jake who was fishing around for the offending cell phone in his bag of goodies. There was no way Chip was going to last the whole evening. The money wasn't scheduled to arrive until ten pm, and Chip was already starting to show signs of shock. Something had to be done very soon. O'Brien's engagement dinner had to have started by now. Nelson would be looking for them. It _had_ to be Nelson on Chip's phone.

Lee now had a plan.

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><p>.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

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><p>"...and that's why I think you two crazy kids are going to make this last. Let's raise our glasses for the happy couple who are soon going to be Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien!" exclaimed the gentlemen in the dark suit. The assembled guests cheered and raised their glasses to the couple at the head table. The waiters had started to make their way out of the kitchen to serve the guests after the final speech ended.<p>

Nelson slammed his phone down on the table, gaining the attention of the other occupants. He leaned towards Jamieson, who was seated beside him. "Now I'm worried. They should have been here by now, or called at the very least."

"Is there a problem, Admiral?" asked Ryan, who was seated across the table.

"Yes, I think there might be. Lee and Chip should have been here by now, even with the delays with the computer system and the detour through town. If they hadn't left, one of them would have called. Every time I try calling Crane, it just keeps ringing and then goes to voicemail. I'm sure they're alright, but I would hate to think they're stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire or something." Admiral Nelson kept his tone calm, though deep down he was really starting to worry.

"Of course, they took Lee's car, and he doesn't answer the phone when he's driving. I'll bet you he put it on vibrate and doesn't even know you've called. You should try Chip, he'll answer." suggested Ryan.

Nelson nodded his head.

"That's a good idea Ryan, I'll try Chip. If you'll excuse me."

The Admiral picked up his phone and moved towards the front entrance to escape the rising noise as the guests started their meals and individual conversations. Stepping outside the door, he lit a cigarette from the pack he carried in his shirt pocket and proceeded to dial the exec.

After several moments the ringing stopped and switched over to voice mail. _Oh screw it._ Nelson hit the end call button and promptly redialled. His hand moved up to punch the end call button again, when a voice came on the line.

"Admiral?"

"Chip! _Where the hell have you and Lee been_? And where are you now? I've been sitting here worrying about you . . ."

Nelson's tirade was cut short. "It's Lee sir."

"What the devil are you doing with Chip's phone?"

"Listen sir, we have a problem here. There's a hostage situation at the local bank here and Chip's injured; he needs a doctor."

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><p>Pete yelled at Jake as he fumbled for the cell phone. "Just shut the fuckin thing off. We don't need this right now!"<p>

"Wait!" cried Lee as he grabbed Shelby's hands and had her press on Chip's wound so he could stand up.

Pete charged over to intercept Crane.

"What the hell do you want? You need to get your ass back on that floor and shut your mouth, or you're going to end up like your blond friend over there." Pete used his gun to point towards Chip and then swung it around to emphasise his next point.

"Well...maybe not you. Perhaps it will be one of these _other_ fine folks we have here with us today."

The other hostages gasped and flinched as Pete waved the gun in their direction. The gun came to rest in the skipper's direction again, and he lifted his hands to show that he was not a threat to Pete and his pals.

"The person on the phone will be my boss. You want money? I can guarantee he'll get you some. He runs the Nelson Institute of Marine Research." offered the Captain. The cell phone stopped ringing for a moment and then started up again.

"Ya, I've heard of that place. The guy who runs it is supposed to be some rich ol'bastard." The female gunmen said. Her interest was piqued now.

"How do I know you ain't lyin to me pretty boy?" asked Pete, who now also looked interested in what Crane was offering.

"Hey if you don't believe me, check my wallet. My ID is in there." Jake began to rummage through the bag again, looking for the wallets. "It's the brown leather one." Lee told Jake.

Jake flipped it open and looked at the contents. "Yep, has an ID for NIMR." Jake said as he tossed the wallet to Pete. "Alright, you're gonna get us that money and I don't want any tricks." threatened Pete as Jake tossed the phone to the Captain.

Crane took a deep breath, checked the call display, and answered the phone.

"Admiral?" Lee paused for a moment as Nelson started his rant.

"It's Lee Sir." Another pause.

"Listen Sir, we have a problem here. There's a hostage situation at the local bank here and Chip's injured. He needs a doctor. . ."

Pete walked over and grabbed the phone, his patience was wearing thin.

"Listen, _Nelson_ is it? I have your boys here and I hear you can solve my financial problem. I'm proposing a business deal. I hear you're loaded and I _just happen_ to need money. I'll trade you these good people at the bank for three hundred thousand dollars in cash."

"Uh-hum. I see. If you're at a bank, why do you require money from me?" The Admiral asked.

"Just you never mind why I need it from you! Point is that I need money and you have some. You gonna deliver or not?"

There was a moment of silence before the Admiral spoke again.

"Yes. I think we can work something out, but getting that amount of money is going to take some time."

"I've heard of you and your organization. I have a feeling you can make things happen pretty quickly when you have the right motivation. I'll give you an hour to be here with my money. I'm sure you've got private jets and cars to make sure you git here within the allotted time."

"Alright, I'm sure I can be there sooner than one hour."

"Good. Git here as soon as you can. I don't know how long I can be nice to your boy here. Oh, and no cops. You git em involved, and blondie here ain't gonna be the only one with a hole in him, understand?"

"No police, I understand. Before I give you the money, I'm going to want to make sure the hostages are ok. You've implied one of my officers is injured. How is he?"

Pete moved over to Chip and kicked his foot. The jarring movement caused the XO to moan in pain and screw his eyes tightly shut.

Crane shouted, "Leave him alone!" He made a move towards Pete, only to be grabbed roughly on the arm by Keith who prevented Crane from moving anywhere.

"He's counting on you to make the drop quickly old man. I don't think he's gonna wait all day." hissed Pete into the phone.

"Can I bring my medics with me?" inquired the Admiral, who was glad he was on the phone and not there in person. His voice maintained a calm and neutral tone, but he knew his face would have betrayed his growing concern for the boys.

"Bring me my money and you can bring your medics." The point was punctuated by the click of the phone and the silence that ended their connection.

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><p>.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

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><p>Nelson snubbed out his cigarette on the steps. He turned to go back inside, when he collided into the chief.<p>

"Sorry Sir. I was just coming to see if you tracked down the skipper sir." Sharkey paused as he caught the look of concern on his superior's face.

"Is there something wrong Admiral? The skipper...he's ok, isn't he?"

"No chief, he's _not_ ok. There appears to be a bank hold up in progress and the Captain and Mr. Morton are among the hostages. I want you to go get Jamie, and did I see Kowalski here?"

"Yes Sir. He's here with Patterson and Riley."

"Good. I want you to bring them too." Sharkey started to walk away, Nelson called out to him.

"Oh, and chief? Keep this information between us; I don't want to start a panic. We have to go in and get our boys, and I don't want any more complications."

"I'm on it sir!" Sharkey saluted and hurried back to the party to get the doctor and the three seamen.

The chief went up to Jamieson's table first. Most of the table members were up at the dessert buffet except for Jamie, who was regaling Ryan with tales of his youth.

"Uh, doc?"

Without taking his eyes off of his companion, the doctor replied. "Yes chief. What is it?"

"The Admiral needs to see you outside."

"Alright, thank you chief. Tell him I will be there in a moment."

Sharkey shifted his weight from one foot to the other but did not leave the table. Will sighed heavily and turned to look at the COB.

"Um, it's really urgent doc. He's just outside the door there."

"Alright." Jamie pushed his chair out and threw his napkin on the table.

"Is everything alight Chief?" inquired Ryan.

"Oh yes ma'am. Everything is in tip top shape," answered the chief who quickly moved on to find Pat, Ski and Riley once he was sure the good doctor was on his way out the door.

* * *

><p>"Looks like we're gittin our pay day after all," declared Pete, with a triumphant smile so big it filled the whole mouth hole of his mask.<p>

"Let em go." Pete nodded towards Lee, as Keith threw him on the floor beside the pale XO.

Morton had made very little noise since being kicked, except for the wheezing sound in his chest. Lee looked at his friend and tried to ignore the tight feeling in his stomach. Chip was sweating and his breathing was becoming more rapid.

The Captain put a shaky hand to the exec's throat and counted the beats of his pulse; it was getting faster. There was nothing to do now but wait. Chip had drifted off awhile ago; the gunmen had all taken positions around the bank to keep an eye on the two groups of hostages and the doors, and the other group of hostages were picking at the meagre snacks the gunmen had allowed Shelby to distribute earlier.

"You should try to eat something." Came the small voice of the bank teller. Lee looked up at the small cookie in the palm of her well manicured hand and shook his head.

_It wasn't supposed to end like this_. Lee had no disillusions about promises of a happy ending for his career. Sure; he had hoped that his final days would be spent arguing with Chip over who had the cuter grandkid, but the reality was that his last days would most likely be spent aboard _Seaview,_ or doing some top secret ONI mission. Something that would save lives, maybe even save the world.

It was the life he and Chip chose, and he knew that Chip had the same thoughts. Well, _maybe_ not the dying on a mission for ONI, but they both had the idea of going out in a blaze of glory. Not like_ this_, on the floor of some bank in some small town waiting for rescue because a couple of kids got in over their head and needed money. _Not like this. I really hate waiting. You can't die on me. You just can't. _Lee thought.

* * *

><p>The giggle could be heard throughout the hall. The petite blonde twirled her hair around her delicate finger and giggled after everything Kowalski said. The chief stood behind Ski, and in a hushed voice demanded his attention.<p>

"Kowalski."

Without taking his eyes off of the girl, who was now playing footsies under the table with him, he answered.

"Ya chief?"

"I need you, Pat and Riley to come with me right now."

"Does it have to be _right this second_ chief?" Ski rolled his eyes, "Can't you see I'm kinda in the middle of something here?" he indicated the blonde, who was still giggling at him.

"Chase skirts on your own time Kowalski, we have more important things to worry about." The Chief now said in a normal voice.

"This _is_ my own time chief!" Ski said indignantly.

"Not anymore it's not!"

"Is something going on Chief?" Patterson asked. He stood up and moved closer to where Sharkey was standing.

"Ya, I need you three _knuckleheads_ to move it outside; the Admiral's waiting for you."

"Right on it Chief," said Riley as he and Patterson put their drinks down and moved to follow the COB to the door.

"Come on Ski, time to go." instructed Patterson as he tugged on Ski's arm.

Reluctantly Kowalski got up from the table. He mouthed the words 'Wait for me' to the blonde as he followed the group out to meet the Admiral.

Outside, the Admiral explained the current predicament to his men. It was very clear to everyone that the gunmen would not let the hostages go once they received their money, leaving it up to the crew of the mighty _Seaview_ to mount a rescue. It took no time at all to gather the supplies they needed, and the five men jumped into the Institute van that the Admiral had taken down to the dinner. Kowalski took the keys, and with great determination, drove as fast as he could back to the small town.

* * *

><p>"Easy Chip, just take little sips." Crane lifted the water bottle to his exec's lips again.<p>

After he took another swallow, Lee put the bottle back on the floor. Morton fought to keep his heavy eyelids open. Waves of cold washed over him, only to be replaced by waves of stifling heat. The pain in his side was making it hard to think. He had to be somewhere today. It was important. There was something important to do tomorrow too. Chip's vision blurred and he raised a shaking hand to rub his eyes. They cleared a little. Chip focused on Lee; the rest of the world was a blur except for Lee.

Lee could see the pain that clouded the XO's brilliant blue eyes. The helpless feeling was gnawing at his very soul.

"Chip you have to hold on a little longer. The Admiral's on his way and he's going to bring help. And let's not forget that we've been in tougher scrapes than this." encouraged Lee.

The Captain placed a reassuring hand on his exec's shoulder as he contemplated the many scrapes he and Chip had survived. After a moment of silence, Chip noticed the contemplative look on his skipper's face and asked,

"And what nothing comes to mind?"

"No they all come to mind," reassured Crane.

"And..." the blond grunted as a wave of pain engulfed him.

"And sane people would have found another line of work by now." explained Crane with a reassuring smile.

"Ya," agreed Chip in a low voice. "But we would have missed out on all the fun if we were sane." Despite his best efforts, the darkness that had started to frame his vision quickly began to close in, and Morton lost the fight to keep his heavy eyelids open anymore. He closed his eyes.

Lee squeezed Chip's hand in support. _Just hold on a little longer._

* * *

><p><em>.<em>


	6. Chapter 6

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* * *

><p>The van pulled up along the side street behind the bank. Main Street was still blocked off to facilitate the wine festival, which was now in full swing. The group cautiously moved under the cover of shadow to take up an observation position across the street from the bank. Jamieson was organizing his medical supplies from the first aid kit in the van. Kowalski was listening to Jamie's instructions on how to play a paramedic, while he packed his own bag full of supplies. Patterson and Riley were busy constructing the portable stretcher, and Nelson was preparing to make the phone call to the bank robbers.<p>

Chip's cell was answered on the third ring by Pete. "Well, looks like you're gonna swoop in and save the day for these fine people. You got my money old man?"

"Yes I have the money you requested. I want to speck to Commander Crane and make sure the other hostages are well. Then we can work out how to make the exchange."

"Kay, but no tricks." There was some static and muffled voice and then Lee's voice came on the line.

"Admiral?"

"Yes it's me Lee. Are you alright? How is Chip doing?" Hearing Lee's voice brought a small amount of relief to the Admiral. He was glad that at least one of his boys was able to bring this nightmare to a close and save Morton, as well as the other hostages.

"I'm fine Admiral, but Chip has gone into shock; if he doesn't receive medical help very soon, I don't think he's going to pull through."

"Listen to me carefully Lee. Can the bank robber hear what you are saying? Just answer yes or no."

"Yes."

"Can he hear everything I say?"

"No."

"Good. Lee we're going to get you out of there. I have Jamie here as well as some of the crew. How many are there?"

"You can tell the Doc that Chip is entering stage _four_."

"There are four gunmen?"

"Yes. I'm glad you brought Jamie, and not that _young_ doctor who only has the _smallest _amount of supplies with him."

Nelson pondered over what the Captain was trying to communicate to him. God he could use a cigarette right about now. "_Smallest amount of supplies", and "Young doctor". Hmmm..._

"They have small arms?" The Admiral asked uncertainly.

"Yes Sir."

"Is it a group of kids holding up the bank?"

"Yes Sir. We'll try to hold on a little longer." There were more muffled sounds, and then Pete came back on the line.

"That's enough; you've heard they're still alive. Now let's get to the part where I git my money!"

The lead gunmen's patience was running out. The solution to all their problems was almost in their grasp. All they had to do was get this old goat to hand over the money and they could be on their way.

"You come to the door with the money, and the medics. No weapons or tricks. We'll let you in and you can help your friend, while we walk out the door with the money. This can be real easy. You try and fuck with me, and your medics are gonna have a lot more blood to clean up!"

"Alright, we'll be right there."

Nelson hung up the phone and turned to his waiting men. Sharkey had made his way over to the group with the lockbox from the van.

"The Captain has informed me that there are four people holding up the bank. He seems to think they are just a bunch of kids with a few small arms. They agreed to let us in to the bank where they will take the money and leave."

"What about the fact that we don't have the money they're expecting?" Riley asked.

"I'm hoping that if they are indeed only a bunch of kids, they will be inexperienced enough to not look too closely at the bags. If they ask to see it, I'll unzip the top and they can look at the money we placed on top of each stack. But if they can't hold it, they won't know that it's fake papers underneath the top bills." explained the Admiral.

"Do you _really _think they're just going to let us leave?" questioned Kowalski.

"No I don't think it's going to be that simple. Kowalski, I want you to hide one of the weapons from the lockbox in your bag of medical supplies. Patterson, I want you to take Jamie's bag and hide a weapon in there. You're going to play the doctor for us. Will, I want you to wait out here until we have the situation under control. Riley, I want you to keep an eye out behind the bank; when we make our move, you come in the back door and chief, you come in the front door-"

"What if they ask to see the money up close?" Jamieson interrupted.

"If that happens, I'll just have to stall until we're ready. Now I know it's not the greatest plan, but right now it's all we have, and those people inside are counting on us." The Admiral finished.

Everyone was preparing to head out, when the doctor pulled Nelson aside.

"How's my patient doing Harry?"

"Lee indicated that your services are going to be greatly needed Will." Nelson quickly turned his attention back to concealing his weapon, but the worry etched into his face was not lost on Jamieson, who nodded slightly and prepared himself for what might be waiting for him inside the bank.

* * *

><p>All eyes turned to Chip's ringing cell phone that had been placed on the counter. Lee felt a flicker of hope rise inside of him. Nelson would soon be rescuing them, and Chip would be receiving some much needed medical care, and everyone except the robbers could go back to their lives.<p>

Pete stomped towards the phone and swiped it off of the counter. He answered it on the third ring.

"Well, looks like you're gonna swoop in and save the day for these fine people. You got my money old man?"

"Yes, I have the money you requested. I want to speck to Commander Crane and make sure the other hostages are well. Then we can work out how to make the exchange."

"Kay, but no tricks." Pete covered the receiver and moved over to where Lee and Chip were. He glanced down at Crane and handed him the phone as he said, "Your boss wants to talk to you. I'll be standing right here listening to you, so don't git any funny ideas."

Lee took the phone out of Pete's hands and turned his head slightly to try and minimize what Pete would hear of his conversation. "Admiral?"

"Yes Lee, are you alright? How is Chip doing?" The Admiral's usual booming voice was very reserved.

"I'm fine Admiral. Chip has gone into shock; if he doesn't receive medical help very soon I don't think he's going to pull through."

"Listen to me carefully Lee. Can the bank robber hear what you are saying? Just answer yes or no."

"Yes."

"Can he hear everything I say?"

"No."

Pete may have had the foresight to stick close to Lee to listen for any clues to the situation in the bank, but he apparently didn't have the attention span to keep up with the conversation. Crane followed Pete's eyes as they darted around the room, showing interest in almost everything, except trying to hear what the Admiral's part of the conversation was.

"Good. Lee we're going to get you out of there. I have Jamie here as well as some of the crew. How many are there?"

The skipper quickly wracked his brain for some seemingly relevant conversational topic to deliver his covert message. "You can tell the Doc that Chip is entering stage _four_."

"There are four gunmen?"

"Yes. I'm glad you brought Jamie and not that _young_ doctor who only has the _smallest _amount of supplies with him."

"They have small arms?"

"Yes Sir."

"Is it a group of kids holding up the bank?"

"Yes Sir. We'll try to hold on a little longer." Pete decided he had had enough of being hospitable and snatched the phone away from the hostage.

"That's enough; you've heard they're still alive. Now let's get to the part where I git my money!"

The lead gunmen's patience was running out. The solution to all their problems was almost in their grasp. All they had to do was get this old goat to hand over the money and they could be on their way.

"You come to the door with the money and the medics. No weapons or tricks. We let you in and you can help your friend, while we walk out the door with the money. This can be real easy. You try and fuck with me, and your medic are gonna have a lot more blood to clean up!"

"Alright, we'll be right there."

Pete threw the phone back on the counter and smiled in triumph. He moved to the center of the room where Keith and the girl were waiting. "Looks like this will all be over in a couple of minutes."

Jake nodded from his position at the door and turned back to the window watching for the Admiral and the medics to approach the building. Keith moved back over to the second group of hostages that were fidgeting in relief that their current nightmare was drawing to a close. The female gunmen leaned close to Pete and whispered in his ear.

"Are we _really_ just gonna let them go? They walk in here and we walk out?"

Pete's hushed voice replied,

"No. When we have the money, we wait until they go to check on their friend and then we take them out. _Then_ we walk outta here and get to the car."

The pair smiled at each other and moved back to their original positions as they anxiously waited for the bloodbath that was going to make them rich.

* * *

><p>.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

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><p>Jake unlocked the bank door and opened it wide enough for Nelson to see the gun that was now pointed at him. The Admiral raised his hands to indicate he had no weapons. Jake opened the door wider and ushered the three men inside. Nelson, Paterson, and Kowalski stood at the front of the bank, cautiously surveying the situation, while Jake closed and locked the door again.<p>

Keith was guarding the security guard, the couple, and the bank manager in the corner of the bank. Jake was guarding the door, while the female gunman was guarding the bank teller, Crane, and a very pale and unconscious Morton. Pete walked towards the _Seaview_ crew.

"Where's my money?"

"I have it here." The Admiral pointed to two of the four bags lying on the stretcher that Paterson and Kowlaski were holding.

"Pass it over here, so that we can be on our way, and you can go tend to your friends." Pete said, indicating Crane and Morton.

All eyes were on the Admiral. This was the moment that his plan was either going to work, or things were going to go spectacularly wrong. He took a deep breath and stared Pete in the eyes, hoping to use all of his military training and experience to intimidate the young man that was holding his friends and other innocent people hostage.

"No."

The simple word hung in the air. Like his fellow bank robbers, Pete was taken aback. Who says 'no' to someone with a gun? Who did this old man think he was? It took a few seconds for the word to even register with Pete, and when it did, he exploded.

"No? No! Who the hell do you think you are to tell me 'no'?" Pete shouted.

Pete took a bold step towards Nelson. The other three hostage takers tensed and awaited orders on how to take control of the situation. The hostages that had been waiting in fear for the last few hours now sat in silence, hoping that they were not watching their only hope at rescue being thrown away in an instant.

"First, I want my medics to take a look at my injured officer. I can also see that the security guard is injured as well." Despite the anxiousness he was feeling, Nelson was the picture of calm.

"You want to look at them? The security guard is fine, not even bleedin any more. Just give me the fuckin money right now, and then you can spend all day checkin them out."

"I'll hand you the money when my medics are allowed to go attend to the injured parties." The Admiral's voice was firm. He was not backing down.

The female gunmen moved over to Pete. "Just let them go and check the people out. What does it matter Pete? It will all end the same way."

Pete looked at his accomplice. She was right; it didn't matter if they checked the wounded. They could shoot the newcomers if they were divided amongst the other hostages just as easily as they could if he kept them at the front door.

"Fine, go check on your friends. I wanna see what's in the medical bags first."

Nelson picked up the two bags that were supposed to contain the money, and Pat and Ski picked up the two medical bags and unzipped the top. Pete signalled for Jake to take a look. The man guarding the door moved over to the two medics and peeked inside the bags, then quickly turned to keep watch at the door. Over his shoulder, he told Pete that the bags looked good. Nelson motioned for Ski to move over to the exec and for Patterson to look after the security guard.

Patterson knelt down beside the security guard and pulled out a roll of gauze from his bag. He gave off all the pretences of examining his patient, but he was actually looking for an opportunity to safely retrieve his gun in the secret compartment in his bag.

"Skipper." acknowledged Ski as he knelt beside Morton and took his pulse.

The female gunman was still closer to Pete in the middle of the room, than to the group surrounding the injured XO. With a subtle nod of his head and brief hand signal, Kowalski indicated there were weapons along with medical supplies in the black bag.

Crane reached in and felt the lump in the bottom of the bag. Looking over his shoulder, he could see the girl was too preoccupied with the conversation going on between Pete and the Admiral in regards to the money to notice what Ski and Crane were doing. Lee unzipped the compartment and found two side arms. Using the gauze as cover, he handed the young seaman one of the weapons and tucked the other one in his shirt.

Shelby's eyes were wide with the realization of what was about to happen. Lee placed a finger over his lips to emphasize the need for Shelby not to draw attention from the Admiral, who was stalling to give his men time to get into position.

Kowalski placed a gauze pad on the exec's wound and pressed down. The sudden pain that ripped through Chip's side tore an agonized moan from his lips. The cry of pain brought the female gunman's attention back to the group. As she moved back to her original position to observe what was transpiring with the wounded man, Crane cautiously inched his way closer to the center of the room.

Hours in this tense situation was wearing Jake's patience thin. The wine festival was _not _going to hold the town's attention forever, and soon the presently blocked off Main Street was once again going to be flooded with people. Freedom was so close; the money was in the room. All Pete had to do was take the damn bags and quit arguing with the man. Just take the money, and they could all walk out that door and continue with their plans. Enough was enough. Jake turned around, and in three quick steps, was at Nelson's side.

"Just take the fucking bags Pete!" Jake ripped one of the bags from Nelson's hands. All eyes were on Jake and that was the moment that everyone thought their plans were going to pay off. The gunmen thought they were going to get their payday, and Nelson's men knew that their time had come to strike.

Jake had caused enough of a distraction for Keith to turn away from Paterson. In one fluid motion, Pat rose up and slammed the butt of the gun into the back of Keith's neck. Keith crumpled to the floor in a heap with Paterson standing triumphantly over him, gun at the ready should he come around from the crushing blow.

In that same moment, Ski delivered a vicious kick to the back to the girl's legs, causing her to drop her weapon and to use her hands to break her fall. Riley, who had managed to pry the back door open, watched as Ski sprang into action. By the time the girl had regained her balance, both Riley and Kowalski had their weapons pointed at her.

Jake's desire to end the situation had moved him away from the door and within Nelson's reach. As he tore the bag away from the Admiral's hand, Nelson turned and brought his fist down into Jake's stomach. The gunman was taken by surprise and doubled over in pain. Nelson dropped the bag in his other hand, and delivered a solid punch into Jake's jaw sending the young man sprawling across the floor. He slumped against the wall, unconscious.

With Jake now incapacitated, it left only Pete for Crane to deal with. Lee lunged at Pete, taking them both to the floor. The two struggled to gain the upper hand, each throwing scores of punches and kicks. The skipper managed to gain the upper hand as he slammed his fist into Pete's face again and again. All of his frustration and helplessness at not being able to help his best friend was pouring out. He threw punch after punch, until the Chief gently pulled him off of Pete. Lee stood over Pete, breathing heavily as he stared at his damaged face.

"Easy now skipper, you got him, you got him." The Chief said, leading Lee away from Pete.

"Lee, go see to Chip, Sharkey, go and get Jamie," ordered Nelson. Crane made his way back towards Chip and Ski.

Nelson was helping Pat and Riley tie up the gunmen, when Will came running into the building.

Will began his examination of the exec, and reviewed the first aid Kowlaski had administered.

"Please tell me, is he going to be alright?" begged the Captain.

Jamie looked at his young commander. Unable to lie to his Captain, he simply said, "I don't know."

Time was of the greatest importance if they were going to save Chip. Blood loss and shock were working very hard to claim the life of _Seaview's _XO. Working equally as hard to combat these conditions was the doctor.

"Where is the nearest hospital?" he asked the bank teller who was still sitting beside the two men who had walked into the bank that afternoon.

"We just have a clinic in town. From there, all emergency cases are airvaced to Riverview in the next town." answered Shelby.

"Chief, tell the police that we need a chopper ready to go to take a critical patient to Riverview hospital."

"Right away Doc." The chief returned to his phone call to the local authorities and gave them the updated news.

Jamie, Crane, and Ski placed the injured man on the stretcher and loaded him into the van. The helicopter was waiting for them at the clinic, and within minutes the blonde commander was on his way to the nearest hospital. Jamieson and Crane went with him in the helicopter while Ski returned to the bank.

The police were escorting the suspects away in handcuffs, and the other hostages were giving their statements to the authorities. After the remaining _Seaview_ crew gave their statements, they all climbed into the van and made the agonizing journey to the hospital to learn the condition of their executive officer.

* * *

><p>.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

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><p><em>Tick...Tick...Tick.<em>

The clock on the wall of the waiting room was loud. The plastic chair was hard. Lee had been sitting, waiting for good news, promising news, _any _news on his best friend. The chopper had landed, and Chip had been whisked away by the medical staff and Jamie to somewhere beyond this waiting room. That was two hours and thirteen minutes ago. No, now it was two hours and _fourteen _minutes ago.

_Tick...Tick...Tick._ The clock was loud.

Nelson walked down the white hallway. He stopped just shy of the waiting room and looked at the Captain, his friend. Lee was hunched over in the chair with his face in his hands. His uniform was rumpled, and his black hair was a tangled mess. The Admiral braced himself for the worst, and stepped into the waiting room.

"Any word Lee?"

Without raising his head, and in a very defeated voice he replied, "No."

The Admiral sat down next to Crane and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Where is everyone?" asked Lee noticing Nelson had come alone.

"They're here. I sent the Chief off to try and contact Ryan to let her know what's going on. She'll have to get Chip's emergency contact information."

"It's his mother. I should call her. She needs to know. I should do that now." Lee started to get up, when Nelson grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down to the chair.

"Just give me her number and _I'll_ get a hold of her Lee. You just stay here and wait for any news. I will take care of everything. I sent the boys to go and get some coffee and food for you. You probably haven't eaten all day."

"I'm not hungry." The pain was very clear in the Captain's voice. He flipped through the contacts on his cell phone until he found Mrs. Morton's number. Lee and Chip had been friends since their first year at Annapolis. The Morton's were like his second family. He had spent many vacations and holidays with Chip, his parents, and his two sisters. If Chip died, how was he going to tell them? Lee passed the phone to the Admiral who took it and started to walk towards the hall.

"Five minutes."

The voice was so quiet Nelson almost missed it. He turned to face Lee, who was staring intently at the floor. The Admiral moved back to the chair beside the skipper as he spoke again.

"I told him it would take five minutes. I was running behind and I hadn't had a chance to get a proper engagement present for O'Brien. I was just going to run into the bank and grab some cash to stick in a card. Just five minutes."

The pair was silent for a few moments, then Nelson patted Lee's arm and went to find a phone to contact the Morton's.

* * *

><p>The bang was punctuated by a red dot. A blood red dot. Chip's blood. All over the perfect tile floor of the little bank in the small town. The blood kept spreading, the pool getting bigger and bigger.<p>

"_Chip you have to hold on a little longer. The Admiral's on his way and he's going to bring help. And let's not forget that we've been in tougher scrapes than this." _

"_And what nothing comes to mind?" _

"_No they all come to mind."_

"_And." _

"_And sane people would have found another line of work by now." _

"_Ya, but we would have missed out on all the fun if we were sane." _

_Just hold on a little longer._

* * *

><p>"Skipper? Skipper wake up."<p>

Crane's eyes snapped open as the shaking increased. Confused about what was going on, he focused on Jamie, his eyes asking for an explanation.

"You fell asleep. We're at Riverview hospital."

Riverview hospital? Something clicked, and the events of the past few hours became crystal clear again. _Chip! _Crane thought. He was now instantly alert.

"Is Chip alright?"

Everyone in the waiting room looked at the doctor, hoping for some good news.

"He came out of surgery and is in recovery right now. There were minimal internal injuries, all of which have been repaired. The main issue was the blood volume that had been lost. That has thankfully now been made up. He will be back to his old self in a couple of weeks.

They want to keep him here for a few days, and then they will release him into my care. We can transport him back to NIMR, where I'm sure that by the by the end of the week he will be busy plotting his escape from."

There was a collective sigh of relief. Smiles broke out on the crewmen's faces, and Nelson patted Crane on the back.

"So you can release him at the end of the week?" asked Lee with a twinkle in his eye. Chip was going to be ok. He felt a huge wave of relief sweep over him.

"No, I said he would be _plotting his escape_ by the end of the week. The man was _shot_. He's not going anywhere for awhile. Why is it the two of you have no concept of recovery time? You're the reason I'm going bald, you know that right?" Jamieson grumbled.

Crane and Morton had a horrible time of staying in sick bay. They could be missing half their heads and _still_ insist they were able to leave sick bay.

Crane smiled at Will. "When can I see him?"

"A nurse will come and get us when he's moved out of recovery and into his room. It'll probably be another hour or so."

Nelson went to go and call Chip's family and inform them of the good news. The chief and the boys decided they would head home now that they knew the XO was going to be fine. This left Jamieson and Crane to wait for the exec to be moved to his room.

After a few moments of silence, Lee turned to Jamie.

"Well we survived another close call."

"Yes we did. We most certainly did."

The End.

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><p>Thank you to everyone for reading. Thank you very much to everyone that reviewed this story.<p> 


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